Imitation bangkok hat



1935- A. LANGELLA 2,026,392

I IMITATION BANGKOK HAT Filed May 4, 1954 FIG. 8

//1 V6 nfor Patented Dec. 3 1, 1935 UNITED STATES' IMITATION BANGKOK HAT Alfred Langella, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Saul Friedman, New York, N. Y.

'ApplicationMay 4, 1934, Serial No. 723,916

3 Claims. (01. 2-193) My invention relates generally to the manufacture of hats and the processes for making same, more particularly to an imitation Bangko 'hat.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an. improved and simplified process for the economical production from a woven paper strand hat body, of an inexpensive substantially waterproof hat, washable, relatively strong, light, attractive in appearance and imitatively resembling a genuine Bangkok hat.

A further object of my invention is to provide a process which permanently and completely eliminates objectionable wrinkles found in the original hat body. 1

A still further object is to provide an improved method for causing a woven paper strand hat to be more receptive to a waterproofing --material.

The invention has other objects in view which will appear hereafter in the detailed description thereof in connection with the accompanying drawing in which I have shown the invention embodied in a hat. In the drawing Fig.- 1 shows a hat body in its original condition.

Fig. 2 illustrates the first step in my process wherein the entire hat is submerged in a container of liquid hydrocarbon to remove the paraffin or wax from the hat.

Fig. 3 shows the second step in my process wherein the brim of the hat body is dipped in a container of lacquer.

Fig. 4 illustrates the third step of my process wherein the entire hat body is submerged in a container of denatured alcohol.

Fig. 5 shows the hat body at the conclusion of the fourth step of my process wherein the semi-dried hat undergoes pressure and is shaped to a suitable die with the edge of the brim turned down as shown.

Fig. 6 shows the conclusion of the fifth step of the process wherein the folded down brim is stitched and cut.

Fig. 7 shows the sixth step of my process wherein the hat is submerged in a container of lacquer so as to have its interstices completely filled therewith and to be completely coated therewith for completely waterproofing same against the elements and to impart a desirable lustre thereto.

Fig. 8 shows the finished commercial hat after having undergone the seventh step wherein the dried hat is repressed on another and different die and the eighth step wherein the finally pressed hat is equipped with the trimmings.

In Fig. 1 (10), represents a hat body in the raw or original and unfinished condition as received from the manufacturer. Made of woven .5 paraffined or waxed paper strands, more or less widely spread, it is soft, rough and irregular in appearance, and has many wrinkles particularly in its crown. The hat readily absorbs moisture. The paraffined strands, already woven into the 10 hat, are noticeably of unequal intensity in color. The shape and size of the brim and crown of said raw hat does not conform with that required as prevailing in style.

The entire body is first submerged in a container of liquid hydrocarbon, (A), left to dry, said hydrocarbon removing sufficient par'afiln to make the body thoroly receptive to the subsequently applied waterproofing solution, and more pliable and workable. The brim of the hat is then submerged in a container of nitrocellulose lacquer, (B), made of nitrocellulose, toluol, ethyl acetate, alcohol, petroleum, butyl acetate, removed and permitted to stitching on the welt.

The hat is then entirely submerged in a container of denatured alcohol, (C), quickly removed to prevent the alcohol from dissolving the lacquer already on the brim, and permitted. to semi or partially dry in a suitable manner. This is done to add gloss to the finished product and to condition the hat for the removal of the Wrinkles contained therein. It is to also aid in making the hat more pliable.

When undergoing the next step in my process, namely, being subjected to hydraulic pressure, in a suitable heated die or mold, there is imparted to the moist conditioned hat body, a definite shape and contour and the edge of the brim (I I), Fig.

5, is turned down or pleated, to form the welt. The inaccurately sized and shaped crown and brim of the raw hat is made to conform with the heated metallic die or mold. At times what was originally part of the lower part of the crown is caused to become part of the brim and what was the inner part of the brim is caused to become part of the lower part of the crown. I have found the above described processing best prepares and 56 conditions the hat for this blocking operation wherein it is stretched or shrunk, pressed and dried.

The folded down part of the brim is then uniformly stitched and out to form a uniform welt (i2) Fig. 6, gages on the sewing and cutting machines aiding in these respects.

The hat then undergoes the sixth step of my process wherein it is completely submerged in a container of lacquer (B) preferably nitrocellulose lacquer as aforementioned, which largely fills the interstices of the weaving, completely saturating and coating the hat and waterproofing or moisture repelling same against the elements and forming a glossy, smooth and even surf-ace on the hat body. It is to be noted the brimis thenceing being very clear and distinct. It is then finally pressed and shaped on another mold.

Upon being equipped with the usual trimmings as a sweat band and outer hat band ([3), in

'Fig. 8, the resulting hat has been produced uniform in color, completely waterproofed, and having its wearing qualities greatly increased.

I-Ieretofore in making hats of the general type described the hat was shaped by pressure, then dipped in glue or sizing, dried, trimmed, sewed,

finally pressed, and then sprayed with a lacquer of the cellulose gum type or nitrocellulose lacquer having an ester, gum or synthetic gum content.

I have found that stifiening the brim with lacquer prevents unravelling of the strands at the edge much better than glue. The separate alcohol step used in my process is a decided advantage over the old art particularly that in penetrating into the woven paper strands it causes the hat to be of requisite pliability to effect the removal of the wrinkles, to cause the hat to be more readily reshapable and thereby to greatly aid in improving the final appearance of the product. Using lacquer of my described type better preserves the pressedshape accurately, permits the hat to undergo unusual usage such for instance as to be considerably battered, creased, repressed as I do in my process, andwashed when necessary. It also aids in making the hat nontearable.

It will be understood that my process is capable of many refinements as for instance that spraying may take the place of dipping, that the final pressing step may at times be unnecessary and that the hat may be colored by means of added 5 coloring matter to the aforementioned lacquer, such as titanium oxide, black pigment, plasticizer, etc., or that coloring matter may be added to the hat apart from the lacquer as a separate step in the manufacture. Various changes might 10 be made in the embodiment set forth and I therefore intend to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent 15 is: 1. The hereinbefore described process for manufacturing an imitation Bangkok hat from a woven paper strand hat body by first subjecting the hat to the action of a liquid hydrocarbon to 20 remove theparaffin or wax therefrom, by thence dipping the brim'in and coating same with nitrotcellulose lacquer and permitting same to dry thereon, by thence submerging the hat in a container of alcohol making the hat more pliable, g5

by'pressing and shaping the hat and turning down the edge of the brim to take the form of a suitable die thereby forming the welt, by thence trimming and sewing the welt,'by thence coating the hat with a coating of nitrocellulosem lacquer.

2. The method of treating and shaping a woven paper strand hat consisting in dipping the hat in liquid hydrocarbon and substantially removing all paraffin and wax therefrom, in coat-: ing the brim thereof with a coating of nitrocellulose lacquer, in submerging the hatin a container of alcohol, in pressing and shaping the hat to take the form of a suitable die, in forming a welt on the brim, and in applying a stifiening no and waterproofing material thereover.

3. The hereinbefore described process for manufacturing an imitation Bangkok hat from a woven paper strand hat body by first removing the .parafiin therefrom, by thence applying nitro--?45 cellulose lacquer containing nitrocellulose, toluol, ethyl acetate, .alcohoLpetroleum, butyl acetate, on the brim, and permitting same to dry thereon, by thence submerging the hat in a container of alcohol and making the hat pliable, by thence m pressing, shaping and. turning down the edge of the brim of the hat to take the form of a suitable die, by thence trimming and sewing the welt, by thence filling the interstices and the open. pores and coating the hat with a coating of the afore- 5 mentioned nitrocellulose lacquer.

ALFRED LANGELLA. 

